Open Water Classes

Welcome to the world of SCUBA diving

This page was prepared to answer some of the common questions that I am often asked by people interested in learning how to SCUBA dive.

What is diving all about?

When I first began diving in 1974, television shows about the oceans and SCUBA diving were infrequent specials, and SCUBA diving was portrayed as a high risk adventure. Today, diving is usually presented in a more realistic way. Excellent underwater photography and the abundance of nature programming on television now combine to create a great interest in seeing this part of our world first hand. But beyond being able to experience what you've seen on TV, there are other aspects to diving that you may not know about.

Are all SCUBA courses the same?

One of the first things a potential diver must sort out is all of those three and four letter acronyms associated with the various training agencies. Why so many? Is there really any difference? Well, this is going to be one of those yes and no answers. About ten years ago all the agencies agreed to a set of minimum standards for entry level SCUBA instruction. If you have an instructor that is conscientious in teaching according to those standards, you can expect to receive good and safe SCUBA training. Some agencies however believe that their students' interests are best served by having an entry level course that is more comprehensive than that specified by the minimum standards. The standards of the YMCA make our course one of the more comprehensive that is available. Here is some additional information about YMCA SCUBA courses.

What will I learn and do in this course?

SCUBA certification courses consist of three learning environments: the classroom, the pool, and open water training dives. Each agency has standards that define what you will be expected to learn and do in each of these environments before certification. Another common question is "What happens after the course?" YMCA Open Water SCUBA courses are designed to enable you starting diving in good conditions and safely gain experience. There are various advanced and specialty courses available.

Is it safe?

Most people are aware that TV and movie producers often exaggerate the actual risks involved in some activities in order to create more "action", There are however some risks associated with diving and knowing about them is considered a prerequisite for taking a course.

Are there any prerequisites?

You should not consider taking SCUBA lessons unless diving is something you really want to do. But despite having a keen interest, there are some important prerequisites for taking a course. (Please review before registering for a course)

The minimum age for the Open Water SCUBA course is 15. Ages 12 to 14 may enroll however a parent or guardian must be present at all times for classroom, pool and open water training.

And finally, about my courses. I usually teach two entry level courses per year. (The remaining months taken up with advanced, specialty and instructor training courses.) These courses typically occur in April and October.

Classroom sessions consist of traditional lectures illustrated with photographs and graphics. The lectures provide an alternative viewpoint and presentation approach to that used in the text book. A student manual includes a dive site guide, logbook, handouts and review materials. And the course also references internet based materials.

This class does require outside reading and homework assignments using the internet. Classroom sessions are designed to review and reinforce knowledge that students have studied prior to class. They also provide an opportunity to discuss concepts that may be difficult to understand based on the reading assignment alone.

The philosophy in the pool is to move the simple to the complex; using repetition to build students' skills and confidence with each session. Skin diving skills are an important prerequisite for SCUBA. I am pleased that the YMCA recognizes this and includes both skin diving and SCUBA diving skills in the course curriculum.